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Rabid raccoon attack appears isolated

Two dogs quarantined after attack

By Jen Alexander McCall
Staff writer

POSTED:January 27, 2010 9:23 a.m.

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Rabies prevention

• All dogs and cats should be vaccinated against rabies, according to local rules and regulations. Wild animals kept as pets should never be vaccinated and contact with wild animals should be avoided. The recommendations for a pet bitten by a wild animal or a known rabid animal are as follows:• If the pet has been vaccinated, re-vaccinate and quarantine for 90 days.• If the pet has not been vaccinated, euthanize and submit tissue for rabies testing. If the owner is unwilling to euthanize the pet, it should be strictly quarantined for six months with vaccination one month prior to release.As strict as this protocol sounds, it is the proper procedure to ensure that no one else is infected with this deadly disease. People should always avoid contact with wild animals.

Source: www.canismajor.com/dog/rabies

A Lake George couple have had to quarantine two of their three dogs for several weeks after a rabid raccoon attacked the dogs one afternoon last week. For more on this story, pick up Wednesday's Courier.